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    Luisa's Restaurant

    4.7 (182 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    LUISA'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Upscale
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Luisa's Restaurant

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    LeoNessa Pinot Grigio
    Ayro P.

    Decided to try this place out since we were in the mood for Italian and it had great reviews. We definitely understand why now. When we first arrived, it wasn't busy at all (Monday evening), and the lady at the front greeted us with a genuine smile and sat our party of four in the corner table looking out to the street. We started with the bruschetta and meatballs, with extra bread on the side. The homemade bread had a light crispiness and was nice and soft in the center, which I loved since I'm not a huge fan of the bruschetta having really crunchy bread. The meatballs came with two but were large enough to cut in half and share among the four of us. They had good flavor, but the rich flavor of the sauce is what really did it for me. I even started adding it to my side bread instead of using the olive oil and vinegar that was provided. My gnocchi was delicious, but I'm not really confident in knowing what it "should" be like so I'll just leave it at that. Would definitely come to this place again. The staff is so welcoming, provides great service, and the food is good.

    Michael L.

    Beautiful little restaurant just off of Valencia in SF. The owner Luisa is the sweetest old Italian lady around and really tries hard to make everyone feel at home. She made sure the restaurant staff really took care of me and I truly appreciated everything she did. I had a brief chat in Italian with her after my meal and apparently she is 95!!! And still actively involved in the restaurant. Most of the few 95-year olds I know are not matching her energy, that's for sure... All of the food was amazing -- I ordered the tutto mare linguine as well as the tiramisu. Would not hesitate for a second to recommend this place to all others who are interested in good authentic Italian in SF. I need to go try the other location they have in North Beach now!

    Natalie M.

    We recently had dinner at Luisa's to celebrate my parents wedding ceremony. They were playing nice music for the ambiance - Juan Inglesias (some chill tunes). There are a variety of appetizers and salads, your choice of pasta and pizza. We ordered the caprese salad, meatballs and I got a chicken parmigiana. Luisa happened to be in the restaurant. She's very charming and was sharing her passion for Italian food. She shared how her gnocchi is made and that the ingredients are all Italian. I enjoyed hearing her stories and how much care she puts into the recipes. The main chef has been the chef at Luisa's for 23 years. The caprese salad was great and fresh and we enjoyed the moist meatballs. Get these! The tomato sauce was excellent. I enjoyed the sweetness of my chicken parmigiana. The sauce was sweet and delicious. The chicken was moist and I loved the fresh cheese on top. I got a cannoli for dessert. This was crunchy and delicious sweet in the inside. We enjoyed our overall experience. I'd come back again. Staff were a joy and so kind. I loved the environment.

    Sumi K.

    I was walking around the Mission with a friend when we stumbled across this place. We were able to grab a table with no reservation, which was great and the service was really warm and helpful! The lasagna was super decadent and flavorful, and I appreciated the burnt edges from the baking dish (my fav way to prep lasagna). They also decorated for Valentine's Day so I would recommend Luisa's for a nice date :)

    Spaghetti Carbonara
    Gerard Y.

    I had late afternoon dinner with my mom here last Sunday. There was only 2 tables seated so it wasn't too busy. I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and it was delicious. The sauce was so tasty and creamy. Also ordered the chocolate gelato for dessert and it was also great. A nice, firm feeling as I was slicing and eating it with my fork. Our waitress, Sonia, was friendly too and answered questions we had about the menu.

    Emmy P.

    This was our first time dining here, and we're already planning to come back! The food was absolutely delicious--every dish was bursting with flavor. The service was equally impressive; from the warm welcome by the hostess to the attentive waitstaff and talented kitchen team. Highly recommend!

    Burrata Salad
    Kathy W.

    Thanks yelpers for helping me make this great decision yes the food is fantastic the vodka sauce was delightful. The raviolis were perfectly cooked and it was a lovely portion I also got the burrata salad at first I thought it needed a little balsamic in addition to the pesto but it turned out to be fine perhaps just a tinge more pesto on it would have been nice. I had the food to go so I can't speak to the ambience of the restaurant but I did notice on my receipt that my order taker/server was Louisa I'm assuming the woman who owns this lovely establishment. I'll make a point to try to get to the restaurant and have food next time.

    FIORENTINA LASAGNA
    Nyla K.

    Made a reservation for 4 on a rainy Friday evening and although it was a bit quiet it was a fun dinner with friends. When we first arrive I saw in the furthest booth some feet in the air which was a bit shocking. Slowly the person sat up and saw that it was the grandma! A little off putting at first but I guess that's the charm of this place. 3/5 Bruschetta - 4 pieces and decent 4/5 Meatballs - 2 large balls with sauce - delicious 4/5 Lasagna - with vodka sauce, very good, like someone's Italian grandma would've made 4/5 Gnocchi - so soft and tender - I couldn't choose so I got half pesto and half vodka sauce. Looked so 4/5 pretty and tastes even better! 4/5 Lobster ravioli - also very good but ravioli is never served with enough pieces! I wanted more! 4/5 Tiramisu - also very good. A slice is big enough for all four of us to share! Would def recommend! I'd come back for sure!

    5 STARS HOMEMADE TIRAMISU
    Kevin S.

    Stopped by North Beach to get some Italian food. My friend recommend Luisa as one of the nicer Italian places he liked since he lived there. As I looked at the menu outside of the restaurant, the 5 star gnocchi caught my attention and I knew I had to come and try it. The gnocchi had a variety of sauces as options and I decided to go with the meat sauce since I was feeling a bit more of a hearty meal. As an avid fan of gnocchi, I had high expectations and Luisa's did not disappoint! The gnocchi had great texture and the sauce was so flavorful! It was definitely the best gnocchi I had here in SF. Another star item was the tiramisu! I love tiramisu and always order it after every Italian meal, but this was my favorite tiramisu I have had in SF! The ladyfingers were not too soggy and the cream was not too sweet, just right. Would make the trek out here just for the tiramisu alone!

    Family enjoying the little moments at Luisa's.
    Kenny O.

    On this rainy evening the ambiance made us feel cozy, warm and at home. The server pointed out suggestions but let us come to our favorite menu choices. Louisa, the 94-year-old owner, just so happened to be sitting in the booth beside us. She came over to our table and sat with us for a few minutes to share in some colorful laughter and history about herself. Her presence made this visit unique and special. Come to Luisa's for the Italian ingredients and atmosphere.

    LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE

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    Luisa's Restaurant - italian - Updated May 2026

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